The
other unofficial LP slate as of press time includes businessman Mark Go for
congressman, former councilor and Indigenous Peoples rights lawyer Jose
Molintas for mayor, incumbent vice mayor Ed Bilog for the same position, and
incumbent councilor lawyer Tino Olowan for councilor.

Retired
RTC Judge Del Claravall and incumbent councilor lawyer Peter Fianza are running
as independent favorites for mayor and councilor, respectively, while incumbent
councilor Richard Carino who is on his last term is gunning for a party-list
seat for congress. We have yet to find out more about them.

Benguet

In
Benguet, it will be an interesting race between incumbent Congressman Ronald M.
Cosalan and Governor Nestor B. Fongwan who finished his last three-year term.
Both are outstanding performers as public officials of Benguet.

But
observers said it is better for Benguet for the former to be allowed to finish
his third and last three-year term as congressman so that he will continue the
excellent job he has been doing on socio-economic programs and infrastructure.
If so, there is a big chance Cosalan will retain his chairmanship of the vital
public works committee in congress.

Cosalan
who is the Liberal Party head will have incumbent Benguet Vice Governor Nelson
C. Dangwa for governor with board member Florence Tingbaoen of Mankayan as the
party’s vice gubernatorial bet.

Under
them, Amor Moresto from Bokod and Kabayan will take a second run for a seat in
the provincial board representing District 01. Pandong Balaodan of Bakun and
Zee Radio is supporting the LP in Benguet and will run for a seat in the
provincial board representing District 2.

The
other unofficial bets in Benguet are for Governor at press time were– Board
Member Jack Dulnuan, former vice governor Crescencio C. Pacalso and Itogon
mayor Oca Camantiles. For vice governor, the unofficial list includes board
member Concepcion Balao, Kabayan Mayor Faustino Aquisan, Tuba Mayor Florencio
Bentres and former board member-lawyer Coy Nazarro.

“I would like all constituents and persons
of Mountain Province to have fair and equal treatment in benefits,
employment, and partnership with government and not to be ignored due to
political color”, the national-leadership awardee and former mayor
of Sabangan said.

For
the position of vice governor, incumbent Vice Gov.BonifacioLacwasan and Albert
Paday-os filed their COCs. .

Calde,
Pagedped, including Taclobao are incumbents with the third representing the
Councilors’ League in the province.

List
of candidates for the municipal levels were not secured as of press time. But
for Bontoc, the capital town, vying for the position of mayor is onlyincumbent Mayor Franklin Odsey who filed his
COC last Thursday.

Candidates
for vice mayor are Eusebio Kabluyen, a graduating councilor, and the incumbent
Peter Pumaat. Incidentally both candidates come from barangay Talubin, Bontoc.

In La
Union, at least 14 members of the Ortega clan filed their COC for various
positions.

District
1 Rep. Victor Ortega, 83, is running for mayor in San Fernando City. His
brother, incumbent mayor Pablo Ortega, is running for congressman in District
1.

Their
younger brothers, Pepe and Ramon, are running for vice mayor and councilor.
They are running against the sons of Gov. Manuel Ortega, Mannix and Alfred. The
governor has endorsed his son, Abono party-list Rep. Emmanuel Ortega II, as his
successor.

Marcoses

In
Ilocos Norte, aside from Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. who is
running for vice president, three other members of the Marcos family are also
gunning for local elective posts in the 2016 election.

Former
First Lady Imelda Marcos is seeking reelection for her third and final term as
the 2nd District Representative of Ilocos Norte. The senator flew to Laoag on
Oct. 16 – the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) – to
accompany his mother, who came with him during his own filing on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Manila.

The
Marcoses' eldest child, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, also filed her COC
late Friday afternoon to run for her third and last term as governor, according
to one of her aides at the provincial capitol.

The
province was identified as an election hotspot with a high risk of
election-related violence during the 2010 presidential elections.

Sources
said Imee Marcos initially toyed with the idea of running against 1st District
Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, but she was advised against it since this would divide
the Ilocano vote for Bongbong Marcos. Imee Marcos and Fariñas have been
political opponents since the 2013 elections.

Solid North?

Bongbong
Marcos, who is running in tandem with Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago,
earlier said that there is a new term for his family's support base aside from
"Marcos loyalists" or voters of the so-called Solid North – the Solid
Ilocano Vote. – votes from Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera
Administrative Region – to give her brother a "strong chance of winning.

It's
like destiny because he is the only one from the North,Bongbong is the only
candidate from the Ilocandia. Maybe it's heaven-sent, a coincidence that all
his other opponents in the race come from the Bicolandia.”

She's
referring to vice presidential bets Francis Escudero, Leni Robredo, and
Gregorio Honasan, all from Bicol. The father of another vice presidential
aspirant, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, also grew up in Bicol.

De Venecia seeks third term in Congress

In
Dagupan City, Pangasinan fourth district Rep. Gina de Venecia filed her
certificate of candidacy (COC) at around 9 a.m. Thursday at the provincial
Comelec office.

De
Venecia, who is seeking her third term under the Liberal Party-Biskeg na Pangasinan
parties, said the date and time of her filing is special to her, as she
dedicates it to the 100th birth anniversary of her father, the late Jose Perez,
owner of movie production company Sampaguita Pictures. Perez died in 1972.

The
congresswoman said she had to rush to her dad’s hometown in Bulacan where a
party celebrating his life and achievements was being held.

Her
husband, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., was not with her when she
filed her COC as he was in China.

De
Asis said this could be due to the presence of police personnel around the
Comelec premises.

Pipo
lauded the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the
Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese for launching the “One Good Vote” campaign.

Cagayan’s political
landscape reshapes

In
Tuguegarao City among the first entries in the Comelec list of aspiring candidates
for provincial posts were old, familiar surnames in Cagayan politics: Antonio,
Vargas and Enrile.

But
while the names are the same, the three candidates who filed their certificates
of candidacy (COCs) on Monday, comprising the provincial lineup of the United
Nationalist Alliance (UNA), represent a mix of the old and the new, the
hardened and the neophytes.

Among
the three, the most familiar name was Juan “Jack” Ponce Enrile Jr., son of Sen.
Juan Ponce Enrile. Jack wants to replace his wife, Salvacion, as third district
representative and return to the post he held before he ran and lost in the
Senate race in 2013.

Top-billing
the UNA ticket in Cagayan is a 36-year-old political neophyte but with a
familiar name: lawyer Cristina “Tin-tin” Antonio. She seeks to take over from
her father, three-term Gov. Alvaro Antonio.

Board
Member Melvin Vargas Jr. filed his COC as UNA vice gubernatorial candidate.
While he may not be necessarily new in politics, he belongs to the third
generation of the Vargas family who has been in local politics for the past
three decades, starting with former Gov. Florencio Vargas Sr.

His
aunt, incumbent Rep. Baby Alyne Vargas-Alfonso of the second district, is
expected to seek reelection under the UNA ticket. As of press time, however,
she had yet to file her COC.

But
while it now looks like the UNA ticket has preserved alliances in Cagayan, at
least for the 2016 elections, it was not without damage.

The
young Antonio’s run for the province’s top elective post shattered the
governor’s “Team Cagayan” alliance with outgoing Vice Gov. Leonides “Odie”
Fausto, who is expected to vie for the gubernatorial post.

As
they both cruised through their third terms, Fausto had made known his plans to
succeed Governor Antonio. Everything seemed well on track because in recent
months, Jack Enrile even went public expressing support for Fausto’s 2016
plans.

Monday’s
COC filing by Antonio and Enrile under one slate officially cuts ties between
erstwhile UNA allies Antonio and Fausto, who is set to file his COC for
governor under the Nacionalista Party (NP).

The
UNA crack may prove to benefit Secretary Manuel Mamba in the three-way battle
for governor. Mamba, a member of the Liberal Party (LP) and outgoing chief of
the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, heads the province’s other
political force.

His
PLLO associate, Assistant Secretary Ignacio Taruc, a former mayor of Buguey
town, is expected to be Mamba’s running mate.

A
former representative of the first district, Mamba returns to the Cagayan
political arena backed by his old LP allies and reinforced by a number of
defections from the Antonio-Fausto fallout.

Among
the recent defectors are Board Member Ramon Nolasco, a former three-term mayor
of Gattaran and patriarch of a growing political family that includes his son
Matthew, the incumbent mayor, and nephew Danilo Jr., the vice mayor.

Ramon
Nolasco seeks to deny Jack Enrile, a former UNA ally, from reclaiming the post
that he and his wife alternately held since 1998.

The
LP is fielding a candidate to challenge Vargas-Alfonso for the second
congressional district, with a scion of the Sacramed family of Sanchez Mira
town, signaling a breakout from the Vargas-led UNA coalition there.

Maj.
Darwin Sacramed, a former aide-de-camp of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa
Jr., will enter politics to follow in the footsteps of his parents, Councilor
Napoleon Sacramed, a former three-term mayor, and incumbent Mayor
AselaSacramed.

In
the third congressional district, the LP is expected to field Board Member
Christian Guzman to contest the reelection bid of Rep. Randolph Ting of the
National Unity Party.

Drama
in the race for the province’s third district, however, may soon intensify
after Governor Antonio hinted that he was also considering running for
representative.

Sources
said Antonio was provoked by criticisms hurled at him by Ting’s father, former
Tuguegarao City Mayor Delfin Ting Sr., for his support for Mayor Jefferson
Soriano as the latter dealt with a string of suspensions and an aborted
dismissal during his first term.

Delfin
Sr. is said to be challenging Soriano anew in the mayoral race in the capital
Tuguegarao. The incumbent vice mayor, lawyer EnglebertCaronan, is also reported
to be joining the race, breaking an alliance with the Ting family.

A
known Ting ally, Board Member Mila Perpetua Lauigan, is said to be running for
vice governor, alongside Fausto.

GMA runs for
reelection

In
Pampanga, former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is
seeking a third and final term as representative of Pampanga’s second district.

Her
eldest son, Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, filed the certificate of candidacy
(COC) on her behalf at the Commission on Elections office here.

Arroyo,
who has been under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on
plunder charges, is running under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.

Arroyo
won by a landslide in the 2013 elections against Liberal Party (LP) candidate
Adonis Simpao. It was not immediately known if anyone will challenge
Arroyo.

If
Arroyo wins in May, she will be the only remaining Arroyo in Congress.
Her son, Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo is bowing out as representative of
Camarines Sur’s second district.

Luis
Raymond Villafuerte, former governor of the province, and Mayor AsuncioArseño
of Pasacao town are reportedly eyeing Dato’s seat.

Padaca allies

Politicians
identified with former governor Grace Padaca failed to get the endorsement of
the LP for next year’s local elections.

Gamu
town Vice Mayor Fernando Cumigad, who is running for mayor, said he filed his
COC under the PDP-Laban because the LP has “endorsed someone else.”

Isabela
District 2 Rep. Ana Go, formerly of the Nacionalista Party, took her oath as LP
member last month.

Go,
along with eight town mayors, were nominated as LP’s official candidates,
leaving candidates identified with Padaca without a party.

“I
have no idea on the status in the LP of former governor Padaca and her group,”
Go told local media.

On
her Facebook account, Padaca said many local LP members were unceremoniously dropped
from the list of LP candidates without prior consultation or notice.

She
cited the LP’s decision to “abandon one of its own for political convenience,”
referring to Henry Bacurnay, undersecretary for external affairs at the office
of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.

Bacurnay,
former LP chairman in La Union, is running for governor as an independent
candidate.

When
asked if LP had dumped her, Padaca said, “I am not sure if I’m still LP because
ever since my appointment as Comelec commissioner, I’ve been on leave from both
LP and Kaya Natin. I’ve not resumed my prior status with either.”

“I
am not sourgraping. I am just echoing what many of those who in 2010 believed
and helped in the tuwidnadaan feel about finding out in the news that they’ve
been replaced by the very people who badmouthed and campaigned against the
tuwidnadaan team,” she added.

“Word
is that the elder Nolasco has been promised to be given his turn to run for
Congress. He has been waiting and waiting and that turn has not been given to
him,” said a UNA source.

Pampanga
governor sets
bid for last term

Pampanga Gov.
Lilia Pineda announced that she would seek reelection for her third and last
term in 2016.

“There
are still many things that have to be done for the Kapampangans,” she said,
adding she urged other officials seeking reelection to go back to work after
filing their COCs.– With reports from LIezle BasaInigo, Raymund Catindig,
Jerry Padilla, Liam Anacleto, March Fianza, Jee Y. Geronimo, Roger Sacyaten and
wires

TABUK
CITY, Kalinga -- Enemies ended up as allies Thursday after a radio broadcaster
who was beaten up by a governor filed his certificate of candidacy for a position
in the provincial council under the latter’s ticket.

Former
Radyo ng Bayan anchorman Jerome Tabanganay is lined up with Kalinga Gov.
Jocel Baac, who is seeking a third term under the Liberal Party.

In
2012, Tabanganay filed charges of grave abuse of authority against Baac for
beating him up in the announcer’s booth.

The
incident resulted in the governor’s suspension.

The
two have settled their differences in a series of dialogues brokered by local
leaders for a united Kalinga, according to Pasil Mayor James Edubba, the
party’s official vice gubernatorial bet.

Edubba
is pitted against board member GelacioBongat of the Nationalist People’s
Coalition.

Baac
will face Conrado Dieza of the United Nationalist Alliance, whom he defeated in
the 2013 elections.

BONTOC,
Mountain Province -- The Department of Interior and Local Government recently
turned over financial assistance to eight rebel returnees in the
province for their livelihood projects.

The
eight RRs received checks of P50,000 each. Three of these RRs were
from the municipality of Paracelis, two each from Sadanga and Bontoc and one
from Sagada. Two were women.

This assistance
was part of the government’s Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP), a
program of the national government for rebels who surrender, including
those who gave up their arms since 2011.

The
CLIP provides financial assistance to rebel-returnees and their families to
help them return to normal lives and reintegrate themselves to society.

According
to Miguela Angwani of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office
, each of the 8 RRs were first given immediate financial
assistance of P15,000 for their basic needs.

They
used part of the money to start livelihood projects such as
sari-sari store, buy and sell of farm supplies and chicken, piggery, and loom
weaving. -- Juliet B. Saley

CLARK
FREEPORT, Pampanga – Fourteen persons were killed while seven others were
hurt in recent poll-related ambushes in Nueva Ecija, reason why the Commission on Elections should declare the
province an election hotspot amid escalating cases of political violence, a
lawmaker said.

Nueva
Ecija Fourth District Rep. Rodolfo Antonino said 14 persons were killed and
seven others were wounded in recent ambushes in the province.

“Eleven
of the incidents occurred this year, including six last September,”
Antonino said at a media forum here.

He
said among the victims were city and town councilors and barangay officials,
including former Association of Barangay Captains president Rick Ramos of
Talavera, chairman Cesar Baltazar of Barangay Luna, lay minister Nicanor
Toledo, former Quezon town councilor Daniel Lonzanida and barangay chairman
GarielRoxas of Cuyapa in Gabaldon.

On
Monday night, motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead a former town councilor of
Quezon town.

Daniel
Lonzanida of Barangay Bertese, 46, was walking along the provincial road in
Purok Bertese around 6:30 p.m. when two men on a motorcycle pulled over to chat
with him, Police Officer 2 Rodelio Rivera, quoting witnesses, said.

Rivera
said two men on another motorcycle arrived and one of the riders shot Lonzanida
at close range.

Following
the killings, the Nueva Ecija police officereplaced 11 chiefs of police in two cities and nine towns for
inefficiency in addressing rising crime rate.

Provincial
police director Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel ordered replaced from their posts
the police chiefs of the towns of Quezon, Licab, Laur, General Tinio,
Pantabangan, Lupao, Nampicuan, Gabaldon and General Natividad, and the cities
of San Jose and Muñoz.

BANAUE,
Ifugao -- The construction of the seven-story parking building near the Banaue
Rice Terraces remains on hold even though the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA) has said the site is not among the World Heritage sites.

Edison
Molanida, NCCA World Heritage coordinator, said construction of the parking
building needs the approval of the National Museum.

Molanida
said Banaue local officials should prove the project would preserve and not
alter the character of the rice terraces to get the nod of the National Museum.

Banaue
Mayor Jerry Danipog had said the construction of the P55-million parking
facility would proceed as scheduled after NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon said the
commission has no jurisdiction over petitions to stop its construction in
Barangay Poblacion.

The
petitioners claimed the parking building would ruin or block the view of the
rice terraces.

Danipog
said only the rice terraces in Barangays Baan and Bangaan in Banaue and in the
towns of Mayaoyao, Kiangan and Hungduan in Ifugao were declared World
Heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization.

Naming Science Ambassadors is part of the
DOST’s “Science Nation Tour” aimed at bringing to the country’s 17 regions
relevant S&T programs that will help the local governments’ economy.

DOST’s first batch of Science Ambassadors
were named for Davao Region in March, 2015.

Montejo visited the CAR last week for a
series of activities, chief of which the inauguration on October 8 of an
environment-friendly Gold-Copper Processing Plant in Itogon, Benguet, to help
the region’s small-scale miners avail themselves of the DOST technology of
extracting gold without the use of mercury and cyanide.

BALAOAN,
La Union -- A farmer’s burning of hay across a field in Barangay Masupe here,
caused the sudden brownout experienced in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos
Sur, Abra, and La Union last Monday morning.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
(NGCP) said the burning of hay was done directly under the NGCP’s transmission
lines and spotted by NGCP field inspectors around 9 a.m.

“Our technical men found the burning hays
along the field in Balaoan, La Union during their immediate inspection of
transmission lines upon the shut–off of power supply in the Ilocos,” NGCP-North
Luzon Spokesperson Lilibeth P. Gaydowen said yesterday.

“I am appealing to all residents in Ilocos
region not to build a fire near or under transmission structures as it could
cause power interruptions because the fire’s smoke can ionize the air around
the energized conductor that may serve as a possible path of current to the
ground,” she explain.

The sudden loss of power in the four
provinces happened as Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices opened the
first day of the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the May 9,
2016 elections.

Electricity was restored by 10:08 a.m. and
the farmer had been informed by NGCP field inspectors of the repercussions of
his actions.

LA
TRINIDAD, Benguet – The new Cordillera police director assured more police
visibility and convictions for crime cases in the region.

Chief Supt. Ulysses J.
Abellera said there will no longer be cops ranked Police Officer 1 in
police stations as they will be deployed for patrol to ensure
police visibility.

Only key officers and non-uniformed personnel
(NUP) will be left to man stations while the police officers will be
equitably distributed to patrol their beats in order to deter commission of
crimes especially in populated areas, he said.

He also vowed to increase conviction
rate of crime cases in the region.

“As a lawyer, one of my aims is to increase
the convictions rates of crime cases filed so as to improve and demand the
appropriate justice for these crimes,” Abellera said.

There should be no cases filed that will be
dismissed because of technicalities if the policemen have done their
investigation right and that the crime scenes have been processed
appropriately, he said. .

Abellera took over the post of Chief Supt.
Isagani Nerez who was assigned in Eastern Mindanao as Directorate for
Integrated Police Operations.

Prior to his new post, Abellera
served at PNP Legal Service in Camp Crame. He was also the deputy regional
director for administration of PRO-COR before his assignment
in the national police headquarters.

The turn over of command was presided by
James Andres Melad, Director for Integrated Police Operations Northern Luzon. –
Redgie Melvic Cawis

BANGUED,
Abra – Cause oriented groups here denied
and condemned black propaganda allegedly by State agents they are New People’s
Army rebels pretending to be development workers.

Kakailian SalaknibanTay Amin a Nagtaudan
(KASTAN CPA-Abra), TulongKatribu and Cordillera Disaster Response and
Development Services (CordDS),in a
press statement, said they learned ofred tagging being spread against them after Ariel Solomon Martes,
Alliance of Concerned Teachers provincial coordinator for Abra was notified by
a friend to be careful of his acquaintances because he was told they were NPA
rebels.

His source however declined to identify the
source for his own security.

“We condemn this malicious statement made
against us. We are development workers aiming to help the evacuees. We declare
categorically that we are not NPA rebels. This kind of statements are
dangerous, as there is a trend that those who are vilified are being harassed,
illegally arrested or worse, even killed. This incident is reminiscent of the
Martial law days, where everyone who desires to serve the people is being
demonized by the state.”

The incident happened after KASTAN,
Tulong Katribu and CorRDS went to Barangay Tamac in Villaviciosa, Abra to
provide relief goods for residents who evacuated because of an impending
landslide.

A landslide occurred during the height of
typhoon Ineng, which destroyed several parts of the rice fields, prompting the
residents to evacuate.

The relief operation was requested by the
community through Alliance of Concerned Teachers provincial coordinator Ariel
Solomon Martes.

Despite the incident, the groups vowed that
they will continue to provide aid for those in need, saying that it is their
sacred duty to serve the people.

“No threats can stop us from doing what we
are supposed to do. These people need help, and no matter what, we will not
leave them behind. Those spreading these malicious statements must desist from
doing so and instead do their part in helping the evacuees.”

The press statement named Haide Patricio Iday
as TulongKatribu coordinator,

Ronald Gustilo as public information officer
of Kakailian Salakniban Tay Amin a Nagtaudan and Ariel Solomon Martes as
provincial coordinators of ACT.

DAGUPAN
CITY – Drifting for nine days, seven fishermen from Bolinao, Pangasinan
went missing at the height of Tropical Depression Kabayan recounted their
ordeal after they were rescued off IIocos Norte on 10.

The fishermen were taken to San Fernando
City, La Union to a hospital for checkup.

Capt. Albert Mogol, chief of the Philippine
Navy Task Force 40, said one of the fishermen was weak and was transferred to a
stretcher.

Jose Ronnie Bagor, 44, captain of F/B Double,
said they drifted for nine days and ate grass, small fish and sugar, which they
salvaged from their boat, in order to survive.

BONTOC,
Mountain Province -- With only a few days to Oct. 31 deadline, the provincial
office of the Commission on Election reminded voters to undergo biometrics
registration to be able to vote in the May 2016 national and local
elections.

Paracelis Election Officer Virginia Chokowen
who is detailed at the Comelec provincial office here, said
biometrics registration and validation and registration of qualified voters is
only until the end of this month.

Biometrics registration and validation and
registration of qualified voters, was suspended on Oct. 12 – 16, to pave way
for filing of candidacies running in next year’s election, according to
Chokowen.

She advised those voters who are not sure if
their biometrics where taken or complete to visit the Comelec website: www.comelec.gov.ph.

Biometrics registration refers to the process
of taking the voter’s picture, fingerprints and signature specimens and encoded
in a computer system.

Latest available data at Comelec provincial
office showed there are still 11,173 registered voters without biometrics data
and 53 registered voters with incomplete biometrics data.

Based on the latest Comelec record, the
province has 98,058 total registered voters.

Under the Mandatory Biometrics Registration
Act, those who fail to have their biometrics taken prior to the May 2016
elections shall be deactivated from the voters’ list and not allowed to vote.
-- Andrew Doga-ong

Calls
for the immediate dismissal of charges filed against 76 human rights advocates,
activists and members of peoples organizations in Cagayan mounted with
supporters saying these were “trumped up.”

“The
filing of kidnapping and homicide against the 76 individuals are clearly
malicious, baseless and unfounded, Baguio-based Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance
said in a statement. “The charges are a mockery to our justice system. But more
than these, the charges put the lives and security of the victims in danger.”

The
CPA urged immediate dismissal of kidnapping and homicide filed against 76
activists and advocates in Cagayan Valley and release of all political
prisoners.

“From Mindanao to the North, the State is
using SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) against leaders
and members of progressive organizations to intimidate, silence and burden them
with the cost of legal defense. SLAPP is part of the systematic and widespread
attack against the people who are working and advancing for the protection of
the environment, respect of human rights and indigenous people’s rights, and
advocates for peasants, women, children and the youth.”

According to the CPA, “The pattern is dangerous.
The filing of fabricated and criminal charges, political vilification can lead
to other forms of human rights violations such as abduction and even
extrajudicial killings as experienced thru the Oplan Bayanihan and former
security policies.”

CPA secretary general Abigal Anongos said
among the known personalities included in the kidnapping and homicide charge
sheet were Randy Felix Malayao, vice president for Luzon, Makabayan Coalition
and Bayan Cagayan Valley convenor; Agnes Mesina, regional coordinator, Rural
Missionaries in the Philippines; Romella Liquigan, coordinator, Karapatan
Cagayan Valley; Isabelo Adviento, National Auditor of Anakpawis and regional
chairperson of Anakpawis-Cagayan Valley and Emil Dagdag, organizer of Piston.

“The CPA firmly believes that
advocating and working for the welfare and common good of indigenous peoples,
peasants, women, children and other sectors are not criminal in nature. In
fact, the killing, abducting, harassing and filing of trump up charges against
activists and advocates by the State are crimes against humanity. The State
should be accountable for these crimes against the people.”